as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
his compulsive clowning around can sometimes be annoying
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Recent Examples of compulsive
Interestingly, when their microbiota samples were then transferred into the guts of healthy mice, these animals also developed the same compulsive eating behaviors.
—
New Atlas, 1 July 2025
Obsessive compulsive disorder has many unknowns, including what causes it, why symptoms can differ so much between people, how medication and therapy for it actually work, and why treatment is effective for some people and not for others.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
Doomscrolling is the term given to the compulsive consumption of negative news and content online.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 May 2025
Smith resorted to compulsive prayer and attempting to reason with the obsessions as a way of bringing about a respite to his struggles.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
New Atlas, 1 July 2025
Obsessive compulsive disorder has many unknowns, including what causes it, why symptoms can differ so much between people, how medication and therapy for it actually work, and why treatment is effective for some people and not for others.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
Doomscrolling is the term given to the compulsive consumption of negative news and content online.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 May 2025
Smith resorted to compulsive prayer and attempting to reason with the obsessions as a way of bringing about a respite to his struggles.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for compulsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsive
Adjective
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The ultralight backpacking movement, born from obsessive thru-hikers and eventually widely adopted by weekend warriors, has driven innovation in the outdoor gear industry for more than 20 years.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
16 July 2025
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President Trump’s most vociferous media supporters have been in a full meltdown over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, an obsessive focus of MAGA figures over the years.—
The Editors,
National Review,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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Merz, 69, is impulsive, prickly under pressure and occasionally leans into populist bluster.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
26 June 2025
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Unlike reckless risk-taking, which is impulsive and uninformed, calculated risk should be strategic and intentional.—
Vikram Joshi,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsive. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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